Tricky succession planning questions to answer

Questions asked by senior managers about succession risk and ultimately business risk are not always as simple, quick or straightforward to answer as you would think they would be.

Take a look at your organisation. If asked, can you find reliable, credible answers to the following questions?

Who are our high flight risk high people who have potential - and who themselves are successors for many people?

Who could we promote internally that have the right combination of skills, experience and desire to lead?

If we promote a certain person, are we leaving behind a post with no successor identified?

What should be our L&D focus for developing our future leaders?

Where’s the biggest risk to our People Plan?

Who is mobile and happy to make a move to a new country?

How up to date is my talent planning data?

Perhaps you have all the information - but all stored in spreadsheets so difficult to access. Or the information you have isn't up to date - or complete.

Perhaps your HR software already has a succession planning component that you’re using – or looking to use. But it may have limitations when it comes to needing specificity, interrogation and real-time data that succession planning needs.

But these questions needn’t be difficult.

You probably already know which are your key, strategically important posts, who are the people you see as potential successors to roles in different parts of the organisation and have some insight into the skills, abilities, competencies needed now and going forward.

You may still need to do some work around this. And we know this as we work with clients facing just the type of challenges you are facing.

And if these tricky succession planning questions fill you with dread, then talk to us about our succession planning software.

Take a look at a short video of how effective succession planning could be in your organisation - and how you would be able to answer those tricky succession planning questions you are asked.